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History of the Jaegers
A Jaeger, whose title is from the German word meaning ‘hunter’, is a massive upright robot. They were designed in the aftermath of the nuclear bombing of Brisbane to kill a Category I Kaiju, Sabreback, that resulted in the loss of half the city. Jaegers were the alternative to another such tragedy. Prototyped by Dr. Karen Hester, they were built and brought to fruition by Dr. Hester alongside Dr. Cecil Burgess and Grady Lucas.
This small team of three recruited volunteers to test the technology, among them the then 1st Lieutenant Jane Noble of the US Air Force. Noble was the first to move Jaeger tech but Sgt. Keith Levine was the first to try to pilot the newly built Brawler Glory. However, Sgt. Levine suffered a massive seizure, dying from the strain. Sgt. Abby Booker volunteered for the next test run.
Dr. Hester and Grady Lucas wanted to continue, but Dr. Burgess had his doubts. The difference this time was Dr. Burgess was in love with Sgt. Booker. The seizure Booker started to sustain seemed to point towards failure, yet Dr. Burgess, in a flash of bravery and desperation, donned an extra Pons unit and connected with the suffering pilot. The gambit worked, and Sgt. Booker was saved.
The act of love also saved the Jaeger program, and secured the funding and backing by the Pan Pacific Defense Corp. Sgt. Booker was unable to continue due to the injuries, but the team persisted, now testing for those who would be able to connect to each other the strongest. They soon found their future pilots. Ruben and Leila Bright, a husband and wife from New Zealand, were the best connection they had found yet- and they were quickly tested with Skullmantle, a Category I, that tried to attack Los Angeles. They succeeded in killing it, stopping it five miles off the coast with Brawler Glory.
After the success of Brawler Glory, the Jaeger program widened its search for pilots, or Rangers. They quickly found the strong connection was not the sole product of romantic relationships, but by intense bonds. Parents and children, siblings, close friends- any worked, as long as their neural connection was strong and could endure the process of sharing minds. The resulting neural bridge tended to heighten feelings already present in those bonds, and granted a deeper understanding through the sharing of memory.
At the height of the Jaeger program, over 60 Jaegers operated out of four Shatterdomes in the United States alone, but due to relentless attacks the program shrunk to only eight and one Shatterdome. The Jaegers have proceeded through 6 successive ‘Marks’ or technology improvements. Now six of the remaining Jaegers are Mark VI with an additional Mark V, and a single old-guard Mark IV.
Jaeger Technology
Jaegers are humanoid in shape, standing on two legs with arms. They are piloted by two Rangers connected in a neural bridge, known as a ‘Drift’, through a Pons unit and are connected in a Conn-Pod, or the head of the Jaeger which controls it. They stand in a ‘cradle’ inside the Conn-Pod. This cradle consist of foot housings, HUD interactive displays, and hand interfaces, one for each hemisphere of the Jaeger. The interfaces look like a massive ring, big enough to fit a hand through, connected with wires to the Conn-Pod. The hand interface is used to control the arm on either the left or right side. In the Mark V and Mark IV there are physical switchboards instead of the HUD interactive displays
They can also use Widow A.I., a system named after the Mark V Jaeger that first used it, to give verbal commands to be followed. However, the remaining Mark V Jaeger in the Bay Cities Shatterdome are not equipped, as they were built before the A.I. was developed. Neither the Mark IV has it, so only the Mark VI's have it. In addition, the Mark IV is the only remaining Jaeger to operate on the old nuclear based reactors, which were done away with due to the Mark V’s newly full electrical systems.
Pilots don protective suits, known as Drivesuits, that consist of a skin tight body suit that contains a wearable network of monitors and transmitters over which body armor plates are attached. Drivesuits connect to the Conn-Pod through a hook up at the base of the neck to transmit vital signs, provide oxygen, and carry the internal comms wiring. The Drivesuits also are locked into the cradle through the foot housings. They provide protective armor from falls and physical impacts within the cradle, while recording a vitals history through the fight. The plated armoring is strong enough to withstand bullets. Despite that, these Drivesuits transmit the physical impacts taken by the Jaeger, so the pain can be felt by the pilots. This is so they can react to stimulus accurately.
Jaegers are as varied as their pilots, in order to adapt to the Kaiju that have similarly evolved to be better offensive attackers. One of the the Mark VI uses a three pilot system, first developed in the Mark V’s. Jaegers use a variety of weapons, from Plasmacasters (giant particle dispersal cannons that use a carrier rail) to Chainswords (swords that can double as bladed whips), and even the heating and cooling systems gases in the Jaegers themselves.
Outside of the PPDC, there are instances of illegal Jaeger building and operating. These are constructed by those who desire to protect themselves against Kaiju, and don’t trust or believe the PPDC will save them in time. The most common occurance of illegal Jaeger building is near neutralized fallen Kaiju with Jaeger that were too destroyed to be repaired by the PPDC. These are usually kept cordoned off, but enterprising Jaeger builders always seem to manage to find their way through.
About Kaiju
The first Kaiju that came through the Northern Breach, Raider, attacked Seattle on July 23-28 2018, killing thousands before it was eliminated just outside of Washington’s capitol, Olympia. Then out of the Western Breach came Reckoner, devastating Hong Kong. Reckoner claimed an upward of a million lives. This was when the world fully woke up to the danger of the Kaiju.
Kaiju come through the two Breaches, also called Portals. The Western Breach is located in the Marianas Trench, with the Northern Breach located in the Aleutian Trench. The monsters that come out of them, called Kaiju from the Japanese word for ‘Strange Beast’, are classified on a category based system ranked from one to five with increasing power. They attack large populations centers almost always, and because of this the preferred incept zone is ten miles off the coast, as within the so called “miracle mile” or one mile off the coast, it becomes near impossible to prevent landfall and major casualties.
Kaiju themselves are highly intelligent and are adaptive to multiple environments. Their blood is highly acidic, creating burns on contact with human skin and if inhaled a sickness similar to a fast acting radiation poisoning. Due to their blood and high ammonia content in their fluids, once they are slain they tend to make their kill sites uninhabitable, creating zones of exclusion. The gases and blood released on decomposition create something called “Kaiju Blue” that contaminate the very air, breaking down any building or living thing in the area. In addition the Jaegers and pilots that face them must be decontaminated on their return to the Shatterdome.
Fallen Kaiju attracted Organ Harvesters, illegal groups that do a black market trade in Kaiju parts. They neutralize blood and other fluids, then strip the body down to its bones, even removing the easier to cart off bones. In some places, those who move into these zones of exclusion that have been neutralized by Organ Harvesters to reestablish their lives build so called Bone Slums. These Bone Slums are shacks that their government turn a blind eye towards, as their residents take the health risks on themselves.
With the increased frequency of attacks, Kaiju have become a cultural phenomenon. The casual admiration and collecting of facts or action figures of slain Kaiju have given rise to a social group known as Kaiju Groupies. The more intense worship of Kaiju is called BuenaKai. In this religion that adapts to the prevalent beliefs of the area, Kaiju are seen as a religious reckoning. They are harbingers for the end of the world as ordained by a God or Gods who sent them to punish sinners while Jaegers are false prophets, and the Pan Pacific Defense Corp are unholy people. Members of BuenaKai are generally outcasts due to their extreme beliefs.
World Timeline
July 22, 2018: Northern Breach opens, registers as 4.9 earthquake off the coast of Alaska.
July 23, 2018: Raider comes through the Northern Breach and makes landfall near Seattle, Washington.
July 28, 2018: Raider is destroyed outside of Olympia, Washington. Zone of exclusion stretches from Lynwood, Washington down through Seattle and Tacoma, ending in DuPont, Washington.
December 12, 2018: Western Breach opens, registers as 5.1 earthquake off the coast of Guam.
December 14, 2018: Reckoner comes through the Western Breach and makes landfall in China, destroying a large part of Hong Kong.
December 18, 2018: Reckoner is destroyed.
December 30, 2018: Pan Pacific Defense Corp established.
March 2, 2019: Brisbane is nearly destroyed by Sabreback and the nuclear payload used to kill it.
March 20, 2019: Jaeger Program established.
October 14, 2019: Jane Noble moves fist Jaeger tech.
December 3, 2019: Keith Levine dies trying to operate Brawler Glory.
December 20, 2019: Abby Booker and Dr. Cecil Burgess successfully Drift.
January 23, 2019: Ruben and Leila Bright do a successful trial run in Brawler Glory.
January 30, 2019: Brawler Glory defeats Skullmantle outside of Los Angeles.
February 28, 2019: Bay Cities Shatterdome is established on Treasure Island in California.
March 26, 2037: Current events start.
?, 2037: Operation Strikethrough initiated.
Pan Pacific Defense Corp
Pan Pacific Defense Corp was established to combat the Kaiju threat, combining the economic and military might of the Pan Pacific countries. The PPDC built Shatterdomes, bases for deploying and repairing Jaegers, that also housed the crews needed to maintain and operate them.
Jaeger Trainees: Also called Cadets, these are candidates for becoming Rangers. Any Cadet who makes it past the first cut, but gets cut in any later cullings can be transferred into one of the other PPDC occupations. The Jaeger Academy session lasts 24 weeks, divided into three eight weeks trimesters. At current moment there is only four spots open for Cadets to become Rangers to take over the two Jaegers about to roll off the lines, with two official Rangers in reserve. All reserve Rangers and other Cadets may take up other occupations upon graduation.
Jaeger Pilots: Also called Rangers. Rangers are those who have graduated the Jaeger Academy, been assigned a Jaeger, and have trained extensively for combat.
K-Science: Short for Kaiju Science. Science officers and personnel in the PPDC who perform experiments on Kaiju remains and research the Breaches.
J-Tech: Short for Jaeger Technicians. Repair officers and personnel in the PPDC who perform the repairs and upgrades to Jaegers.
Strike Troopers: The foot soldiers of PPDC. They are an elite team of combatants who provide ground support for Jaegers and help with the evacuation of cities. They also patrol PPDC sites or provide bodyguard duties.
Jumphawk Pilots: These pilots operate the Jumphawks that transport the Jaegers out in an airdrop. They are highly skilled and must have good reaction times to help position Jaegers.
LOCCENT Mission Controller: A PPDC officer in the Shatterdome control bridge that provides continuous updates to Rangers about their battle, tracking the Kaiju and any friendly forces or civilian population.
Fightmasters: PPDC officers and personnel who train Cadets and Rangers in various fighting styles. They range from military members to private instructors to professional MMA fighters. These fighting styles are used in combat.
Assault Specialists: PPDC officers and personnel who train Cadets and Rangers on how to defeat and defend against Kaiju using the known anatomy and behavior patterns of their enemy. They are supplied with information from the K-Science division.
Conn-Pod Controllers: PPDC officers and personnel who maintain, repair, and run the Conn-Pod simulations. They train Cadets on how to use Conn-Pods before they ever go into combat.
Psych Analysts: PPDC officers who administer personality tests and match Cadets who they believe are Drift compatible. They also act as the mental health team for the Shatterdome.
Med Teams: PPDC officers and personnel who act as the Shatterdome’s personal hospital. Includes first responders and surgeons.
Locations in the Bay Cities Shatterdome
LOCCENT Mission Control: Also known as the Local Command Center, Command Bridge, or simply the Bridge. The communications center which is responsible for the deployment of Jaegers into combat and tracking the battles.
Kwoon Combat Room: A specialized arena in which Rangers and Cadet are trained in hand to hand combat, along with weapons offense and defense.
Drivesuit Room: A room located at the top of the Shatterdome that contains the stored Drivesuits and decontamination units for Rangers and their suits. A team of drivesuit technicians equip Rangers with their drivesuits. The detached Conn-Pods for their Jaegers are stored next to the Drivesuit Room, accessible to their Rangers. This location is essential in order to drop the Conn-Pods into the Jaegers stored in the bays.
Conn-Pod Stimulation Room: The mock Conn-Pod in which cadets practice operating a Jaeger and later, fighting in one. Operated and maintained by Conn-Pod Controllers.
Mess Hall: A two tier cafeteria which serves food for the personnel, officers, Rangers, and Cadets of the Shatterdome. Food lines can be found on the upper level, and food distribution is not limited by rationing. The kitchens serving the Mess Hall can also be found on the upper level, and are usually locked during non-meal times.
Psych Quarters: Office spaces used by Psych Analysts to conduct personality and mental health assessments. Also contains a 24/7 mental health clinic open to anyone inside the Shatterdome. Visiting is confidential, but serious mental imbalances in Rangers and Cadets must be reported to Psych Analyst officers in order to asses their continued feasibility of Drifting.
K-Science Labs: There are four interconnecting labs used by the K-Science division. Each has a different discipline- Breach Studies, Kaiju Physiology, Kaiju Morphology, and Kaiju Biochemistry. Breach studies is a purely mathematical discipline, while the other three deal with the dissection, study and experimentation with Kaiju specimens.
Ranger Barracks: Located near the Drivesuit Room, Ranger barracks are one of the only two housing barracks within the Shatterdome itself. The Ranger barracks consist of 10 rooms, with lockable doors, situated around a central Rec. Ranger teams share rooms. These rooms can have either twin bunk beds or a single full sized cot, and include a desk and attached bathroom. One single room, #B10, is equipped with berths for three Rangers. Rooms 01-05 are in the first block (A), rooms 06-10 are in the second block (B ). Assignments can be found in the 'Ranger Barracks' topic.
Cadet Barracks: Located near the Kwoon Combat Room, Conn-Pod Stimulation Room and the Psych Quarters, cadet barracks are one of the only two housing barracks withing the Shatterdome itself. Cadet barracks are a single large room filled with foot lockers and bunk beds. There is an attached shared bathroom.
Officer Barracks: Located on the Shatterdome grounds, officers and their families inhabit an apartment complex with studio, one bedroom, two bedroom, three bedroom, and four bedroom layouts.
Personnel Barracks: Located on the Shatterdome grounds, personnel and their families inhabit an apartment complex with studio, one bedroom, two bedroom, three bedroom, and four bedroom layouts.
Locations Outside the Bay Cities Shatterdome
Bone Slums: Formerly Daley City, this suburb city south of San Francisco was decimated by Cindermane, a Category II Kaiju that made landfall after destroying a Jaeger. While it was ultimately killed where it made landfall, but it had already contaminated the city's limits. Newly proficient Organ Harvesters contracted by the PPDC neutralized the corpse before the widespread contamination of Kaiju Blue but the skeleton of Cindermane remains. Now built up around by shacks of refugees or previous residents of Daley City, it remains as a stark reminder of what can be lost if Kaiju terrorize a city. It also contains a BuenaKai temple built inside the skull of Cindermane.
The Fallen Lake: Formerly Lake Merced Park next to what use to be Daley City, the Fallen Lake is the graveyard for destroyed Jaegers. No longer usable due to Kaiju Blue seeping into the lake from the death of Cindermane, it is controlled and quarantined by the PPDC. It remains a popular spot for illegal scrap metal gathering and stealing parts for illegal Jaegers. Even though it has frequent patrols by the Strike Troopers of PPDC and local police forces, these criminals slip through the fences unseen with startling frequency.
